This blog is a result of the heavy censoring of the media by the military dictatorship regime.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Pro-democracy movement rebutt Australian journo's 'race card' claims and challenge him to disclose his links with regime

Suliasi Daunitutu (left) at last week's Black Tuesday rally.

The pro-democracy movement says Australian journalist Graham Davis’ story about the Gone Marama Bale, the Roko Tui Dreketi’s letter to Frank Bainimarama is so biased 'it is tantamount to professional recklessness.'

The Fiji Democracy and Freedom Movement (FDFM) in Australia says even Davis' attack on Ro Teimumu for addressing Bainimarama as 'Voreqe' instead of 'Frank' is below the belt and ill-informed.

GCC helped secure release of Chaudhry govt during Speight coup.

FDFM president Suliasi Daunitutu says Davis dishonestly uses Ro Teimumu's letter to suggest 'a titanic struggle looms between the old and new orders in Fiji for the hearts and minds of the indigenous majority – the i’taukei'.

He says it is 'irresponsible media hype' aimed at stirring emotions never intended by the writer.

"The deliberate choice of title ‘Paramount Chief deals the race card’ is intended to deflect from the substance of the Gone Marama Bale’s letter to Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama ... implying a foreign meaning, more sinister in nature and calculated to attract negative reaction from knee jerk reactionaries."

Daunitutu says FDFM wholeheartedly agree with the gist of the Gone Marama Bale’s letter and her comment to Bainimarama regarding his illegal government's obsession with race issues:

"Internationally, ethnicity and culture are recognised and valued, for it is only through racial and ethnic diversity that we can realise civic strength. It is when our nation fully appreciates the different ethnic communities and their culture and learn to accept the different cultures and religion, it is then only, when we will have everlasting peace in Fiji.”

Daunitutu says he himself had warned the military junta of its short sightedness in abolishing the GCC in an earlier release which concluded that FDFM is concerned that:

- Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s personal agenda of wanting to dismantle Fijian Institutions because it will supposedly free Fijians has fooled Commodore Bainimarama and others.

- It fails to grasp the possibility that it could instead unleash and spiral Fijians out of control, fuelled by an avalanche of fear and anger directed against Bainimarama, Sayed-Khaiyum and their supporters triggering an implosion within Fiji’s already fragmented RFMF, civil population; causing a massive wave of retribution &amp - causing civil unrest affecting all peoples and the economy, but unfortunately Fijians and Indo-Fijians will bear the brunt, of the likes never witnessed in modern Fiji before.

Daunitutu says like Ro Teimumu's letter, FDFM's concerns were never meant to incite people or to arouse racial hatred as made out by Davis, but rather serve as a concerned warning of what could happen as a result of the regime's decision to dismantle Fijian Institutions, such as the GCC.

"FDFM wishes to reiterate, it was the Great Council of Chiefs who negotiated the release of the Chaudhry Government from George Speight’s captivity through the Maunikau Accord, which unfortunately resulted in Speight’s arrest following the subsequent attack on the Kalabu Settlement because of Voreqe’s reneging on his promise and blaming everyone else accept himself.

"Graham is ill-advised in using the ‘race card’ as his trump card because this was never the intention of the Gone Marama Bale, thus inviting ridicule and scorn upon himself after being caught out throwing down a trump card whilst having the same suit in his hand at the time, known in Fiji, as “yaraneke.”"

Daunitutu says the Rewa chief's belief the GCC play a pivotal role in Fiji’s political landscape is something even the former Indian NFP Leader, Jay Ram Reddy, and the current Indian FLP Leader, Mahendra Chaudary, have acknowledged.

"It’s foolish to think, race and ethnicity can be exorcised in Fiji and nor should it be because as the Gone Marama Bale rightfully alluded to, it’s recognised in International Forums, such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was adopted it at its 62nd Session at its New York Headquarters on 13/09/2007.

"Graham’s biased support for Fiji’s illegal military junta has deprived him of the ability to see things as they truly are and to discern what not to take at face value. His limited repertoire of tools because of his biasedness reminds me of Abraham Maslow’s quote: “when the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail.”

He adds: "Edmund Burke’s quote of “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” is a timely warning for Fiji at this time, but unfortunately enforced by people like Graham.

"The Gone Marama Bale, knowing the cost to her own personal safety, chooses to speak on behalf of the countless Fijians and Fijian Chiefs who cannot freely speak their minds for fear of reprisal or the withholding of government development projects from their provinces or villagers.

"She has already been previously arrested and taken into Police custody in the middle of the night, like a fugitive (charges were later withdrawn because of insufficient evidence) - so she is fully aware of the implications of her letter, but it’s something she believes Voreqe Bainimarama needed to hear."

Regarding Davis' reference to Ro Teimumu as the Boadicea of the South Seas, Daunitutu notes: "The difference between Boadicea and the Gone Marama Bale is that Boadicea almost succeeded against the Romans, whereas the Gone Marama Bale with our assistance, other Freedom Fighters and other support will succeed against Fiji’s illegal military junta."

The FDFM president says he and the movement challenge Graham to be as courageous as the Gone Marama Bale the Roko Tui Dreketi and to fully disclose 'his interest regarding Fiji’s illegal military junta, rather than hiding behind the façade of an Independent Journalist, which he certainly isn’t.

"If Graham cannot take this courageous stance, then I suggest he divert his attention elsewhere because we’re talking here about innocent people’s lives and the deprivation of their rights and freedoms, which was usurped by Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama in his December 2006 coup."

55 comments:

More incitment
said...

I downloaded Daunitutu's full statement and found the following comments, which are highly relevant in the current debate and indicate that inciting fear about racial conflict are part of a clear strategy:------

In my Press Release earlier this month, I did warn the Military Junta after its abolition of the Great Council of Chiefs with the following concluding remarks: ”FDFM’s concern is that Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s contorted and short-sighted personal agenda of wanting to dismantle Fijian Institutions because of his Machiavellian pretence; it will free Fijians to a better qualitative life, apparently has fooled Commodore Bainimarama and some others. It condescendingly and dangerously fails to grasp the possibility, it could instead unleash and spiral Fijians out of control fuelled by an avalanche of fear and anger directed against Commodore Bainimarama; Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and their supporters, triggering an implosion within Fiji’s already fragmented Fiji Military Forces & civil population; causing a massive wave of retribution & civil unrest affecting all peoples and the economy, but unfortunately Fijians and Indo-Fijians will bear the brunt, of the likes we’ve never witnessed in modern Fiji before.”These concerns were never meant to incite people or to arouse racial hatred as tactlessly insinuated by Graham, but rather a concerned warning of what could actually happen because of their current course of action in dismantling Fijian Institutions.

------

If you believe this, you believe in Santa Claus. "Oh we're not threatening or inciting anyone. We're just saying what will happen"! Anyone who knows Fiji knows what this means. The same!

Ha ha ha. "The difference between Ro Kepa and Boadicea is that unlike Boadicea, she will win". Davis may be stupid but he isn't that stupid. Good comparison. There's no way the Gone Marama Bale can win. It would have had Suli doing his research on Google because I never heard of her and bet he hadn't either. Is Graham being paid, do you think?

Facist fool junta groupies and old colonial racists like davis and the dyslectic so called academic from horowheua are a waste of space. Their contribution to Fiji and its people, who continue to suffer under a human rights abusing military regime, is about as useful as the dictator bainimarama's contribution to the sugar industry - zilch!!

Vinaka, "More incitement". It's all there. It's sayed khaiyum who is behind it all, poor Voreqe is too stupid to see he's being manipulated, keep going this way and the army will fight, the vanua will fight, we'll all fight each other, Fijians will die, Indians will die, Fiji will be destroyed and it'll be all your fault!! Qori Not only full of BS but nuts.

Whether there is a GCC or not the Chiefly system will exist because all you have to do is look at the very foundations of Fijian (iTaukei) society. Whats the whole purpose of the vola ni kawa bula and the NLTB etc if there is no leader-the one sitting at the top is just as crucially important as the one at the bottom-SIMPLE! YOU can take the GCC out of the equation but can't take the Chiefs out of the Fjian way of life! Those that think it can be done will soon realise its the demise of all the accumulated values & traditional practices & existence of the Fijian way of life! You can ignor the Chief & carry on as usual but something becomes missing in our very existence, beliefs and our connection to the VANUA no diffreent if you wanted to get rid of the mataisau, matani ni vanua or any any other level of the system! DRi Yani

Hello Guys. I am not against chiefs....but its high time chief's should also be fair towards the own fijian ppl. the main issue is fair distribution on lease rental. Are they doing it? or is only a few at the top who get it. Whats point of yasana, Fijian holdings etc etc when only a few benefit out of it

I think Davis has right to his opinion. We should all respect his rights.

If the people of Vanua and Indians die in a struggle, remember the Chinese are standing by to take over Fiji. Now the Chinese are not as tolerant as our Indo-Fijians brothers. They will waste no time and will show us Fijians where the door or Pacific Ocean is. We might have no time to pack and go back to Africa.

Can the vile government supporters soiling this blog site go back to their playing pen in Horowhenua! I thought this site is for pro-democracy debate not liu muri Bai supporters. Can blog owner please screen comments and weed out these spoilers.

What's up with the issue of RTD using Voreqe instead of Frank? It's Voceke, and that's his real name.

As I've said before, abolishing the GCC is a big mistake, and it's all Aiyarse's plan. He wants to dismantle the national i-Taukei institution, and his plan is that Fijians will end up fighting against Fijians. That way, he will get a smooth ride to the top and continue to rule Fiji. The problem is, Voceke is blinded by power and he failed to realize that Aiyarse is playing him, that's how dumb Voceke is.

Graham Davis and Croz Walsh claim that C4.5 is a 'terrorist' website because it allows people to post stupid, incendiary remarks. With your posting of Graham Davis' reactionary statement, perhaps you prove their point.

Please continue to post all comments, including those by the foolish and treasonous supporters of this regime, as a teaching tool to show those people that, unlike Croz Walsh, we're not afraid to be challenged by counter-arguments.

I've been warning of the possibility of a pogrom in Fiji when this regime collapses. Let us organize now and have the discipline to fall in behind responsible leaders like Ro Teimumu to prevent innocent bloodshed.

Will believe this treasonous lot when they show us their pay packets. Sarting with Bainimarama and Khaiyum. Throw in the PM's Flood Appeal for good measure and it's a done deal otherwise take it to the Rewa River, I say.

In 1987 the Chief made Raceke life member, in 2000 they beleived in the cause and not the method. 2009 a lot has changed they have becomw the target. Hunters became hunted, what goes around comes around. In 1987 the methodist were ruling and remember the sunday ban, lots of my friends from indian decent asked me why were they targeted but i had no answer to the questions. This time a taliban has put the whole thing into perspective so just be careful were we are heading to. Demise of the I'Taukei and the Fiji Army. No sane PM will keep the army cause they are the problem a bunch of kana loto f!!! witts

And it is confusion of the people where bainimarama and khayium take advantage of.

Chief whorehore will sing a different tune if someone pays him better than Khaiyum and his boy Bainimarama.

I dont know if you people can see it or not, but chief whorewhore seems to have a piece of the pie the illegal regime has. His words..."sent a chill through the ranks of non-indigenous Fijians..." is just propagating his lubricated a!@ to bainmarama, and khaiyum, or maybe he could literally see the chill going through the ranks from his desk.

Ro Teimumu is right. Bainimarama should not have killed off the GGC and certainly not as the country had just been told to carry out discussions for a new Constitution. Just as they have introduced decree after decree to bring about its new order, so it got rid of the GCC. Anyone who believes there is equity in our beloved land has swallowed the improper-ganda.

Why is everyone blaming ASK? Was he the brains behind the coup? Is the military council so dumb to sing to his tune. No.

This coup is a struggle between the fijian elites and those that are not. Sandwiched in the middle are the poor fijians, and in particular the methodist (not its leaders).

Is always easy to blame someone than one of our own. The problem is we fijians are not united. You just ask a fijian from Nadi, ba or naitasiri if they support a chief from Lau, the answer is the same. No.

This Rewa chief is known to have made racist statements in both outside and inside parliament and any thing she says must be taken with a "grain of salt". After all, race is a fact of life and the SDL will exploit it along with all the others. Will those screaming for democracy reveal their true motives.

Anon@9.23. If people don't blame Aiyarse, then who's the brains behind the coup? Voceke is one dumb mofo and he doesn't have the brains to do that. Look at what's been happening in Fiji, and ask yourself....who is actually running the country? It's not Voceke, it's Aiyarse.

And that Davis fella, he's comfortable writing rubbish from the safety of his home in Australia, if he was in Fiji he wouldn't dare write such dribble. Typical coward I'd say.

Get one thing right...Bainimarama got the hostages released not the GCC. The GCC were part of the hostage takers. Go to Fiji TV and get a copy of the CD of when the GCC team went to parliament on Bainimarama's advise to seek the hostages release...they ended up agreeing with the hostage takers. And who the hell is Daunitutu? Read the Wilkingson Report available on the Internet on the chiefs and how they came to be. They want to compare themselves to royalty and the house of lords in England when they are descendants of murderes and thugs and not God anointed people like royalty around the world.-Comment edited:C4.5

Australia & NZ and US etc giving recognition to indigenous people...this is our God given race, who is Voreqe or Davis or Khaiyum or Naz to change. ONLY GOd can change that....Can we change Aiyaz Khaiyum to become christian or Hindu...NO.

Can Davis become black or brown to be taukei...NO.

so Graham Davis shut up People like you is the reason for unequal distribution of wealth & economic prosperity....something the illegal fiji govt is enjoying on the expense of innocent fijian people.

Long live the indigenous taukei of Fiji, their chiefs and vanua.-Comment edited: C4.5

Lets get one thing straight It was not Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s idea to to do away with GCC. This idea was from someone in USA. It was suggested to Bainimarama back in 2007. So let us not give credit to someone that does not deserve it. This has been the BEST thing that has happened to Fiji.

The Chiefs were only benefiting from GCC. For them it was a "PARTY TIME" during the meet at the expense of tax payers.

I as a Fijian have no use for GCC. There are 2 chiefs that are carrying on with the PARTY. One being Ratu Epeli Nailaitikau and the other one is Inoke Kubuabola. Inoke is a bigger thief than any other chief in Fiji. He is also a "flip flop" He is an opportunist. He will sell his mother to gain anything. That is how low he is. Can we Fijians trust him?

Anon@10.48. You sound like someone from Voceke's inner circle. Now who was that someone from USA who wanted the GCC abolished? It is widely known that Aiyarse had a lot to do with this. Voceke was only acting on instructions from his boss Aiyarse. I suppose you've read his thesis, and this says a lot about the abolition of the GCC.

I'm disposed to give Graham Davis the benefit of the doubt on this one. If anyone has evidence to the contrary, let him adduce it. Otherwise, I respectfully suggest that we stick to the issues and stop making unsupported accusations.

The one in USA is someone from Fiji but has been in USA for a while. The idea did not come originally from Khaiyum. Not only the removal of GCC but also Method Church's putting in their palace was this gentleman's doing.

He has done Fiji a great favor. No one ever thought of doing this or thought that this could be done.

The urban guerrilla is a person who fights the military dictatorship with weapons, using unconventional methods. A revolutionary and an ardent patriot, he is a fighter for his country's liberation, a friend of the people and of freedom. The area in which the urban guerrilla operates is in the large cities. There are also criminals or outlaws who work in the big cities. Many times, actions by criminals are taken to be actions by urban guerrillas.

The urban guerrilla, however, differs radically from the criminal. The criminal benefits personally from his actions, and attacks indiscrimminately without distinguishing between the exploiters and the exploited, which is why there are so many ordinary people among his victims. The urban guerrilla follows a political goal, and only attacks the government, the big businesses and the foreign imperialists.

Another element just as harmful to the guerrillas as the criminal, and also operating in the urban area, is the counterrevolutionary, who creates confusion, robs banks, throws bombs, kidnaps, assassinates, and commits the worst crimes imaginable against urban guerrillas, revolutionary priests, students, and citizens who oppose tyranny and seek liberty.

The urban guerrilla is an implacable enemy of the regime, and systematically inflicts damage on the authorities and on the people who dominate the country and exercise power. The primary task of the urban guerrilla is to distract, to wear down, to demoralize the military regime and its repressive forces, and also to attack and destroy the wealth and property of the foreign managers and the upper class.

The urban guerrilla is not afraid to dismantle and destroy the present economic, political and social system, for his aim is to aid the rural guerrillas and to help in the creation of a totally new and revolutionary social and political structure, with the armed population in power.

Anon@3.04PM. Can you please put a name to this 'someone' from USA for all to know. If you don't then you're all shit mate. Another pro-Voceke who's trying to divert the issue away from the original plotters, Voceke and Aiyarse.

Your posting contained a few hidden clues that makes you a staunch supporter of Voceke and especially Aiarse.

'The idea did not come originally from Khaiyum' implies that Aiyarse did have a hand in the decision to abolish the GCC. The key word there is originally, so go figure.

And, ...also the Method Church's putting in their palace.... What on earth are you on about? Your post is typical of an uneducated soldier at the barracks.

VICKSBURG — A former extremist Muslim who once trained others to kill Jews and Christians defied his own possible death on Saturday night by charging the Quran’s reasoning as hopeless and its commands as hateful and immoral.

Muslims and non-Muslims risk death by speaking out against Islam, said Dr. Daniel Shayestah, a key leader in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Yet he did, and also admonishes Christians to wake up and take a stand for their faith, based on the one true God of love and grace.

America’s weakness, he said, is that it continues to listen to the lies propagated by Muslims about their religion.

“Islam is not the Islam you learn in America,” Shayestah said. “There is not a single word of peace (in the Quran), yet they call Islam a peaceful religion.”

And the Christians are losing ground on the fight.

“This is a great country,” he said, “but unfortunately, Christians are sleeping and are losing their country.”

“Day after day,” he added, “the evil politicians will take over if you do not wake up.”

Shayestah recited an array of verses from the Quran, which say Allah — whom Shayestah calls a manmade god — planned from the beginning to destroy all people in eternity, is the giver of pain, and brought man into the world in “toil and trouble.”

Thankyou Suli for all your effort to bring back democracy to Fiji keep it up and for this graham davis character he is just as corrupt as voreqe and when legality is restored in Fiji soon davis can go join his friend voreqe in a cell at NABORO!!!!!

Graham Crackers and Full of croc-Croz will never learn, despite the regime rag sun putting their "opinion" as headlines, that just because they say it, does not make it so!! have all the headlines, the radio and tv-soundbytes and interviews with voreqe the idiot, even 3-4 hours in a village by CCF or the SFCCO - does not have any effect - evidence the recent CCF study where even after 6 visits over the last 6 years, people still HAVE NOT CHANGED THEIR WORLDVIEW - you think you will change a worldview in a few headlines, or a 3-4 hour talk AT them? dream on!!

Suli did you support the coups of 1987? And did you support the cause but not the method like many chiefs did 2000? Got a feeling won't get an answer from Suli. Just like Mere samisoni never answers questions about her stand on coups of 1987 and 2000.

Graham says it as he reads it-sometimes we need to read what people are writing-Suliasi was part of the problem in other coups as a supporter, today the painter from Canberra has changes tune! Which Suli do we believe 1987, 2000, 2006?

Let us stick to the undisputed facts and not hearsay.1. It is fact that Aiyarse's thesis were on the abolition of taukei Fijians institutions. Therefore any other alleged source must be substantiated with evidence. Otherwise someone is conjuring up some story to redirect attention away from the real source.2. Taukei Fijians have truly repented from the coups of 1987 and 2000 and are adamant that this is not the way. Yet strangely vulagi Fijians seem to think that the 2006 overthrow is justified. I find that perplexing and smell a big stinking rat. It seems a variation to Murphy's Law applies "The taukei Fijian is always wrong. The vulagi Fijian is always right". And recent developments seem to point at stripping the taukei Fijian of everything ... the last of course is the valuable resource of land.

Anon@8.29pm. What's so hard in you providing a name or are you ashamed because all you said was just crap? People have been asking you to substantiate your claims by naming the person. Unless you do that, you're no more than a shit stirrer who is trying to endorse Voceke by referring to a phantom in the US.

It is very clear that Yash Ghai has run a good game, inciting his protege who incited voceke, causing instability in 2006 and the last 6 years of ruin in Fiji.

Now Yash rides to the rescue for a hefty fee to write a brand new constitution in his vision for a utopia in Fiji - which he could not create in Kenya and where he was kicked off the constitution commission, but he still claims that constitution which caused elctoral violence when first tested in 2004 Kenyan elections.

We can very clearly see Yash and his creature's (CCF and kaisi kaiyum) hands in the abolition of the GCC.

See kaisi kaiyum thesis conclusion - pages 68-70:

"…if only a select few become culture and tradition makers then they will have tendency to perpetuate, reify, and uphold aspects of culture and tradition which protect their own status….

.... if cultural institutions are set up with certain individuals as guardians of those institutions and who have the monopoly power over the interpretation and determination of what culture and tradition is or ought to be then they become extremely powerful in societies where culture and tradition are used to legitimate subservience, domination, and indeed constitutions and coups. …cultural autonomy must have a sunset clause. Its prolonged continuation will …disallow the critical cultural space in which a just, vibrant, and coherent nation-state can flourish while embracing diversity.

As seen from the Fijian experience the continuation of separate indigenous Fijian administration has restricted the growth of a ‘coherent national narrative in politics, myth or ritual’. It is testimony to the continuation of communal politics at national level and also the rise of eg ethnically based trade unions after the overthrow of governments.

It is also evident that cultural autonomy has its limitations. Its application as a long term solution if the on nation-state is to be maintained is in doubt since it entrenches particularism and a divided nation-state. It promotes culture-ethnicity as the modus operandi leading to the politics and constitutions of ethnicity. This is at the expense of addressing pertinent citizenry concerns. Cultural autonomy therefore potentially could lead to communal politics since it is vulnerable to the dictates of elites who are prone to manipulating symbols around which ethnic groups coalesce. These symbols make interethnic violence appear just, honourable and legitimate.

Consequently in order to ensure a viable and stable nation-state, cultural autonomy (and its institutions) must devolve or at least evolve to not only reflect changes in society but also to ensure the development of a common citizenship within the nation-state. "

People let me make myself perfectly clear-----------You not getting the from me. You people are so intelligent or want to believe that you are. So figure out. I bet in million years you will not be able to.

Anon@12.20am. 'You not getting the from me'. Mate stop thinking you're intelligent because clearly you're not! Just read your posting idiot, it just don't make sense. Go back to school you uneducated moron.